Adding An Ad To Your Instagram Story – And Why That Might Be A Good Idea

If you use social media to promote your brand, it’s possible you’re already using Instagram ads. But in addition to the ads you’re already using, did you know that you can also place ads in Instagram Stories?

Wait – what are Instagram Stories?

Just in case you’re not caught up on the details, Instagram Stories is a relatively new feature, similar to the ‘Story’ system on Snapchat. You can add your recent photos to your story, which will be viewable for just 24 hours.

Running an Ad in Instagram Stories

When viewing Instagram Stories, you may notice ads that appear in between stories in the form of a 9:16 visual. These will be labelled as ‘Sponsored’ and will appear seamlessly as if they were a story in themselves.

Ads may be shown in the form of a still, single image, or as a video of up to 15 seconds. And while you can’t yet feature any links or calls to action, Instagram is planning to enable this in the near future.

Why consider an Instagram Stories Ad?

Running an ad in Instagram Stories can help you reach an even wider audience, as well as showing you’re a forward thinking company who’s not afraid to try out the latest trends and features. If your demographic is one that moves with the times, this especially will work in your favour.

If you like the idea of running an ad in Instagram Stories, read on to find out how!

Step one: Decide how your ad will look.

The first step is to design your ad. You’ll need to make sure it will appeal to your demographic as well as being visually eye-catching and intriguing. You can create the ad yourself using programs or software of your choice – or, hire a designer.

Make sure all images used are high quality, and any text is short, snappy and strong. There won’t be time for the user to read a long paragraph, so get your point across in a quick way that’ll stick in their minds.

As per the guidelines, your image should have an aspect ratio of 9:16 and size of 1080 x 1920.

If using video, the video can be up to 2.3GB in size, must be a minimum of 720p in resolution and cannot be any longer than 15 seconds.

Step two: Create the ad.

Once you’ve designed your ad, it’s time to create it. Log into your Facebook account (which should already be connected to your Instagram) and head over to Facebook Ads Manager.

After clicking ‘Create an Ad’, you’ll need to select an objective. Reach will be the only objective available for this type of ad.

Next, give your ad a name and press the ‘Continue’ button. You’ll be guided through the process, including defining your audience and choosing your budget – as well as choosing your ad format.

The final step is to upload your media and decide whether you’d like to track your campaign. After that, the ad is ready to run!

It’s really that simple – just two steps to an Instagram Stories ad that’s sure to capture the attention of your audience.

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